europe / originals

images of tall residential buildings in 1945



this collection includes buildings of least 40 meters tall that were completed before 1945. Buildings that are shorter than 40 meters but possess skyscraperesque features are included in this list, though they are not ranked

giraffes
during this period, a significant number of 'giraffe' buildings were constructed. A giraffe is defined as a low-rise building with a tower integrated into its design. To qualify for inclusion in this collection, the tower section must have habitable floors occupying more than fifty percent of its total height

color codes
  later reconstructed      later demolished

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1. Torre Locatelli
Milan • IT • 67 m • 1939
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2. Edificio Los Sótanos
Valencia • ES • 62 m • 1931
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3. Gratte Ciel Est
Villeurbanne • FR • 61 m • 1934
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3. Gratte Ciel Ouest
Villeurbanne • FR • 61 m • 1934
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5. Résidence de la Cambre
Brussels • BE • 61 m • 1937
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6. Tour Albert
Brussels • BE • 56 m • 1937
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6. Tour Léopold
Brussels • BE • 56 m • 1937
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8. Les Pavillons français
Brussels • BE • 55 m • 1934

Lumixbx via Wikimedia Commons
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9. Drapacz Chmur
Katowice • PL • 53 m • 1934
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10. Àrbori Palace
Fiume • IT • 53 m • 1939 - 1947
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11. Hochhaus Herrengasse
Vienna • AT • 52 m • 1933
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12. Palazzo Lancia
Bologna • IT • 50 m • 1937
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13.   Queen Anne's Mansions
London • GB • 49 m • 1890 - 1971

RIBApix
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14. Le Saillant de l'Yser
Brussels • BE • 47 m • 1930
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15. 12-verdiepingenhuis
Amsterdam • NL • 47 m • 1932

Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed via Wikimedia Commons
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16. Casa Alta
Trieste • IT • 47 m • 1937
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17. Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion
Istanbul • TR • 46 m • 1911
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18. Residenza Bertola
Turin • IT • 45 m • 1930
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19. House on the Embankment
Moscow • RU • 45 m • 1931

Ludvig14 via Wikimedia Commons
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20. Obchodný a obytný dom Manderla
Bratislava • SK • 45 m • 1935
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21. Casa della Fontana
Milan • IT • 44 m • 1936
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22. Grattacieli Gemelli 1
Milan • IT • 43 m • 1923
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22. Grattacieli Gemelli 2
Milan • IT • 43 m • 1923
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24. Grattacielo di via Vittorio Veneto
La Spezia • IT • 43 m • 1927
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25. Ungerpleinflat
Rotterdam • NL • 43 m • 1934 - 1965
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26. Palazza Moderno
Bologna • IT • 43 m • 1935
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27. Mali Neboder
Fiume • IT • 43 m • 1939 - 1947
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28. Flatbuilding Willemspark
The Hague • NL • 42 m • 1931
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29. Palazzi Federici
Rome • IT • 42 m • 1937
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30. Nirnsee House
Moscow • RU • 41 m • 1915
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31. Rascacielos de Collblanc
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat • ES • 41 m • 1932
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32. Mosselprom House
Moscow • RU • 40 m • 1925

Gennady Grachev via Wikimedia Commons
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Haus Rheinpark 1
Düsseldorf • DE • 38 m • 1929
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Haus Rheinpark 2
Düsseldorf • DE • 38 m • 1929
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Edifício Rialto
Porto • PT • 38 m • 1944
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Afremov House
Moscow • RU • 35 m • 1905

Bogunilia via Wikimedia Commons
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Résidence Ernestine
Brussels • BE • 35 m • 1936
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Palais du Congo
Brussels • BE • 32 m • 1930
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Immeuble Cateland
Lyon • FR • 31 m • 1911
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Hochhaus Glückauf
Hanover • DE • 31 m • 1927

Bernd Schwabe via Wikipedia Commons
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Trinity Compound on Ilyinka
Moscow • RU • 30 m • 1876

Bogunilia via Wikimedia Commons
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Flatgebouw Parklaan
Rotterdam • NL • 30 m • 1933
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Prinz-Georg-Straße 100
Düsseldorf • DE • 29 m • 1925
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Mathenesserplein
Rotterdam • NL • 28 m • 1929

Hanhil, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Bergpolderflat
Rotterdam • NL • 27 m • 1934

Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed via Wikimedia Commons
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Nirwanaflat
The Hague • NL • 25 m • 1929

M.Minderhoud, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons